Picasso?s Not Exactly a Masterpiece (Business Lunch)

Friendly faces and good crust saved our review of this pizza parlor. From the appetizer to the pizza, everything was so covered in crushed red peppers, we had a hard time tasting what was underneath. r

The biggest problem is that red peppers weren’t listed as an ingredient on either our appetizer or one of our pizzas. They came as an unwelcome surprise. We left wondering why the restaurant bothered placing large shakers of red pepper on the table. r

Our two diners first ordered the Focaccia Bread, ($2.75) which was a thicker variation of the restaurant’s “mouthwatering” pizza crust smothered in garlic, fresh rosemary, and, of course, red peppers. The order came without extra plates, causing the diners to scatter spices all over the table. The fluffy bread was especially good around the edges where there was less rosemary and peppers, but the rest of the bread was so strongly spiced, we each needed another drink before the appetizer was gone. r

Both our diners ordered mini-versions of Picasso’s gourmet pizza. One diner had the Chicken Alfredo Pizza ($6.25). She thought the shittake mushrooms were delicious, but the chicken looked like processed cubes and the basil wasn’t cut up small enough to blend with other ingredients.r

Our other diner had the Spinach Pizza ($6.25). The pie was topped with pesto sauce, smoked provolone and fresh tomato. Admittedly, the diner failed to notice the crushed red pepper listed as one of the ingredients in the description of this dish. The pesto sauce was tasty, although hard to find under the thick layer of cheese. Our munchers would have liked less cheese, please, and more fresh tomatoes and spinach. r

Ambiance was lacking as the table conversation could have done without the extra serving of background noise coming from the “pow!” sounds of a vintage video machine in the game room and the variety of voices from the three televisions switched on in the restaurant.r

As we were checking out, the owner made a point to ask how we heard about the pizza parlor and pointed out that Picasso’s has an expanded menu for evening diners that includes a number of pasta dishes. We left wondering if red peppers are a mandatory part of those dishes, also. r

Picasso’s should get some credit for its cool T-shirts. One of our diners had to get one.r